Tim Sheens says his Hull KR side can ill-afford to ‘clock off’ in the remaining four Super League Qualifiers after accusing his side of time-watching in the win over London Broncos.

Rovers led 33-14 with 20 minutes remaining at KCOM Craven Park before the Broncos hit back to ensure a nervy finale.

The hosts eventually held on for a 35-30 victory to ensure an unbeaten start to the middle 8s but coach Sheens was disappointed with the way his side ended the encounter.

Praising his outfit for the way they attacked in the opening hour, the Robins boss hopes that the way yesterday’s match ended will act as a stark reminder that nothing is a certainty in the Qualifiers, as KR enter a week’s break for the Challenge Cup final in second-place, level on points with Super League outfit Warrington Wolves.

“I’m not taking anything away from London but we allowed that comeback to happen,” Sheens told the Mail.

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“We had 93 per cent completion in the opening half, and it means a lot to a coach, using only two subs in the opening half. All of a sudden, we clocked off and looked at the clock. Guys started saying ‘I’m tired’ and ‘I want to come off’. That was a bit disappointing.

“At the end of the day the wins are all that matters. We expected them to come back and once they got a simple try (James Cunningham’s score) they lifted and we were starting to look at the clock.

Hull KR v London Broncos

“We’ve discussed it and it’s something we have to overcome. The first two weeks we were behind in both and played for the entire 80 minutes. But this week, we got a good lead, shut down and nearly blow it.

“The week off comes at a great time, for everyone in this competition but it’s what the boys do in this time that will make the difference. Six weeks’ time is their off-season, this isn’t a break for them and we will be doing work on the training park.

“At the moment, we’re still a million miles off. Everyone is thinking ‘Yes’ but there is plenty of expectation on the club and that puts pressure on the boys. For me, three from three is a great start and we have to reload now for the next four.”

Hull KR v London Broncos

Sheens confirmed that Nick Scruton missed out with a muscle tear to the knee, and Andrew Heffernan was unable to return to the field after a concussion injury.

However the pair, along with Thomas Minns (dead leg) and Adam Quinlan (knee) should be fit for the trip to Featherstone on Sunday week.